If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Small update. Being in Texas we see a lot of tornadoes. While their devastation is massive, it is also very localized. I've been scouring the internet on this topic all morning and I've discovered a few facts:

1. It seems to be in the northern part of Tsukuba (Near Hojo)
2. I believe Jundo must be somehow near the University as many of the students frequent his zazen groups.
3. The University is in Tsukuba City and so a decent distance away from Hojo.
4. There is no power even near the University (Read a blog by a student there). So maybe Jundo can't communicate at the moment.
5. Knowing Jundo, with the big heart he has, I'm sure he's doing what he can to help those affected.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

I pray that Jundo and his family are well - perhaps experiencing a utility outage. Dokan, thanks for doing some research on the tornado zone and Jundo's location. This is an important occasion to say metta for those affected by this tornado, and all those whose lives are affected by natural disasters. I hope Jundo, his family, and the residents of Tsukuba are safe at this moment. He will communicate as soon as he is able....

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Hello,

just a quick update: Jundo and his family are fine. To quote the man himself: "A tornado hit in our neighborhood, about 5 minutes by car from here. Much damage there, but all is fine here. Such is life, fate, Karma."

Once he's finished with his dokusan schedule, I am sure he'll write a quick update himself.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Dear All,

We are fine, thank you for your concern. The power came back on about an hour ago. We saw the Tornado funnel cloud pass almost right over our heads, and it did touch down in our neighborhood, about 5 minutes by car from here. A lovely old part of town with ancient houses was destroyed, a boy killed. We sit for them. Many of those people had just recovered from the earthquake last year.

I am from Florida, so rather used to such news. I do chalk it up to life, fate, Karma. However, if I ever do have a chance to meet God face-to-face, I will be sure to tell him that I think he did a wonderful job in engineering this planet ,,, but it would have been oh so nicer without tornadoes, earthquakes and a few other things.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

To experience such traumatic events one after another must be very, very hard. I hope there is counseling for post traumatic stress. And even though it thankfully passed over you, it must still be very hard for you and your family to assimilate everything affecting your home area. Much metta. Gassho, Grace.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Originally Posted by Graceleejenkins

To experience such traumatic events one after another must be very, very hard. I hope there is counseling for post traumatic stress. And even though it thankfully passed over you, it must still be very hard for you and your family to assimilate everything affecting your home area. Much metta. Gassho, Grace.

The stuff of life.

In Florida, I sat Zazen all night in a closet as a hurricane smashed the windows in our house and lifted part of the roof off. Last year, the many earthquakes and nuclear disaster. Our daughter got sick. In between ... sunny and rainy days.

Some days sunny, some days rain ... some days, unfortunately, tornadoes. All just the passing weather.

Reminds me of a friend of one of our members who is a former park ranger in Hawaii, one of the few (2 or 3?) living humans beings to survive falling into a pool of active volcano lava up to his thighs. It was so hot, it was not a normal burn and he made an amazing recovery ... after walking several miles on burned legs to get to a hospital, then a long hospitalization.

Despite that, he still loves the volcanoes, lives right next to the lava flows and kept working.

So, I asked the guy what he had learned from the experience.

He said something like, "Well, try to watch where you are walking." 8)

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Thank you for the update. I guess I speak for all here, we are grateful you and your family are okay.

We sit for the ones who are suffering today and please let us know if we can donate to the Red Cross or some local charity to help rebuild the lost homes.

Originally Posted by Jundo

Dear All,

We are fine, thank you for your concern. The power came back on about an hour ago. We saw the Tornado funnel cloud pass almost right over our heads, and it did touch down in our neighborhood, about 5 minutes by car from here. A lovely old part of town with ancient houses was destroyed, a boy killed. We sit for them. Many of those people had just recovered from the earthquake last year.

I am from Florida, so rather used to such news. I do chalk it up to life, fate, Karma. However, if I ever do have a chance to meet God face-to-face, I will be sure to tell him that I think he did a wonderful job in engineering this planet ,,, but it would have been oh so nicer without tornadoes, earthquakes and a few other things.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Just saw this thread after seeing a post from Dokan on Facebook...very glad to hear he and the family are ok, but very sad to hear of the fatality and the others injured. Metta to all victims of war and terrorism and natural events.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Just heard of all this, much Metta to all families touched by the tornado and especially to the family of the boy who died. Metta for all treeleafers to endure the tornadoes, may be them made of wind, or made of thoughts . Glad our teacher and his family is fine.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Thank you, everyone. This is also serving (as did the earthquake and Tsunami last year) to bring our small community together. Folks in the town are signing up to take turns to go help with the cleanup.

Here are some photos of the damage to the town from the tornado. A few miles away, where we are, no damage at all. Such is life/fate/Karma ... the way the wind blows.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

They say natural disasters everywhere are on the rise, and we can see this is so...possibly because they are a reflection of all of the turbulence inside human minds.

Gassho
Julia

A famous Koan about Huineng, the 6th Ancestor ...

Two monks were arguing about the temple flag waving in the wind. One said, "The flag moves." The other said, "The wind moves." They argued back and forth but could not agree.

The Sixth Ancestor said, "Dear sirs! It is not the wind that moves; it is not the flag that moves; it is your mind that moves." The two monks were struck with awe.

So, a big moving wind is mind. It is also air shifting between high and low pressure systems. It is also, as Dogen wrote in Shobogenzo Immo ...
“The matter is beyond the wind moving and beyond the banner moving: you are the Mind moving.” ... “Of course, your mind may move, but what is more, you yourselves,dear sirs, Move.” Why do we say it in this way? Because That which is moving is ‘Moving’, and because ‘you, dear sirs,’ means you, dear sirs.

Re: Tornado in Tsukuba

Glad to hear you're ok Jundo and fam.

These pics remind me of the tornado that hit here last April. Had many friends who lost loved ones and homes. Nature has a way of reminding us how small we are. And how we need each other. Metta to all who suffer from storms, both inside and outside.